A One Way Trip
by GailAnna
Summary: Percy fell into Tartaurus a year and a half ago, a sacrifice to win the war against the giants, which they did. Annabeth is still in mourning, and Nico has forged a relationship with Jason to get over Percy, but now he is falling in love with Jason.
1. Chapter 1

Annabeth

Falling, falling, darkness, screams, sobbing, no, he can't be gone he can't-

"Annabeth Chase!" boomed the professor. She sat up straight in her seat, fighting back tears. "Y-yes sir?" He glared at her, clearly having caught her drifting again. She'd been doing a lot of that lately.

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again," she mumbled, even though she know she could never keep that promise. She blinked rapidly and rigorously copied notes, not allowing any other thought into her head.

College was the challenge she had been waiting for her whole life. Every school had been too easy, too predictable, not catered to her needs. But college was-well, it was something else altogether. She took all of the most challenging classes, and had hours upon hours of homework every night. Some might find it tedious, or exhausting, but Annabeth needed it.

It kept her mind from wandering.

Thinking too much led to thoughts of him, and she couldn't go there. She didn't allow herself to.

But she was visiting camp next week, and there was no way she could make it through the three days she was staying without having an emotional breakdown.

Everything there would remind her of him.

For now, though, she focused on class, and blocked everything out. Work was an excellent distraction.

Jason

"Fifth Cohort, to arms!" he shouted, raising his sword. Cheers and whoops sounded behind him as they charged. Frank was in the lead, Hazel beside him. They fought incredibly together. Jason was just behind them, taking out the enemies who made it past the two, which were few. In no time they had reached the other team's flag, and victory was sealed. Hazel laughed and gave Frank a kiss.

"Excellent fighting. Could've turned into a dragon and made it a whole lot easier, but I suppose you boys like the challenge!" She winked and headed off to take her armor off. Frank followed her. Jason grinned. They were wonderful together.

"Hey," said a voice from behind him, small and quiet. Jason turned.

Nico DiAngelo stood there, grinning shyly. It was a rare occurrence, seeing the son of Hades smile. Jason was taken aback, but glad to see him, nonetheless.

"Hey yourself," he said, walking over and sheathing his sword. "Where were you earlier? I thought you said we would meet this morning."

Nico shrugged. "Out and about. Around. You know." Jason raised an eyebrow. "Actually, I don't know. How about you come with me while i get this armor off, and we can get some food in town?"

Nico shrugged, which for him was as close as you could get to a yes.

Jason quickly changed into normal clothes and they set off for the town that joined Camp Jupiter.

"Nice night, isn't it?" Jason said, trying to make some conversation to fill the silence. Nico nodded, not saying a word. He could be frustrating that way sometimes.

"What are you in the mood for?" he asked, gesturing towards the shops. "Your choice."

"I'm up for anything," Nico said, so they settled on burgers. Dinner was quiet. Halfway through the meal, Jason brushed his fingers against Nico's hand, who sharply pulled away, frowning.

"Not here," he muttered. "Come on, man."

Jason couldn't be sure, but he thought Nico was blushing. He grinned to himself.

After dinner, they headed back to Jason's cabin, which was mercifully empty. As soon as the door closed behind them, Jason grabbed Nico and pulled him in for a kiss.

He'd missed the feel of the younger boy's lips on his, their warm touch, his fingers running through Nico's soft, unruly hair. "Don't go away for so long next time, 'kay?" Jason murmured. "Reyna kept trying to get me to go to dinner. It was awful."

Nico chuckled, pulling back and looking into Jason's electric blue eyes. "And what did you say?" Jason trailed kisses down Nico's neck. "I said I had other commitments." Nico laughed outright that time, quickly clapping a hand over his mouth. They looked towards the door, but no one came in or knocked. Nico smiled shyly. "Did you specify what those… commitments were?"

"Of course not," Jason said. "I didn't want her trying to steal you from me."

"Uh huh," Nico said. "That's the reason."

"Well of course," Jason said, pulling Nico towards the bed. "But that's not important."

He kissed him again, and this time, they didn't pull apart for what felt like an eternity. It could have been the next day, for all Jason cared. "I have to go," Nico whispered, pulling away. "I told Hazel I would visit her now that I'm back. Don't wanna be late."

Jason sighed. "Two weeks, you were gone, and all I got was dinner and a few minutes alone? I expect a better reunion at a later time." Nico smiled and gave Jason one last kiss.

"Count on it," he said, then he was gone.

Jason watched him leave, the door swinging shut, and fell back on the bed.

How much longer could he keep this from the other campers?


	2. Chapter 2

Annabeth

The familiar pine tree appeared on the hill, and Annabeth's stomach did a flip flop. She gave her dad, who had driven her there, a kiss, and walked towards the camp. She didn't know why she was so nervous to return to her childhood home; Camp Half-Blood had been a safe haven for her for so long, the only one true place she ever felt accepted.

So why did she have so many qualms about returning?

Summer was about to begin, in just a few weeks, and Chiron had wanted her to visit before things got too crazy at camp with all the new demigods coming in.

She got to the top of the hill and stopped, taking in the camp.

Her breath caught and she choked back tears when she saw the ocean glittering in the distance. She hadn't been to the beach ever since….

No. She wouldn't do it. She wouldn't go there.

She started down the hill into the camp, seeing the Stoll brothers, Clarisse, and the other campers who stayed year round. They could go to school, but most of them preferred to stay at camp, since it was safer, and the only real home that many of them had.

She waved at a few she saw, hugged some old friends, but made a beeline for the Big House. She wanted to make this visit as quick as possible, maybe just go to the Athena cabin and talk to the kids there, but mostly stay out of everyone's way. She didn't want any attention.

"Chiron?" she called, peering into the cabin. She heard the squeaking sound of Chiron's wheelchair rolling down the hallway, and smiled when he came into view. "Annabeth!" he said, grinning from ear to ear. "My girl! How are you?" She smiled and gave him a hug. "Pretty good. Glad to be back here, at camp." _Lie_.

"I'm glad to see you too." he said. His voice was calm and reassuring, which helped to ease Annabeth's nerves a little bit. "Have you talked to many of the other campers yet?" he asked. Annabeth felt like he already knew the answer. "They've missed you." She shook her head and looked away. "I, ah, have a lot of work to do while I'm gone from college," she said. "Not much time to socialize. I just wanted to visit, you know?" Chiron nodded solemnly.

"How is college , by the way? A nice change, I would imagine?" Annabeth nodded. "It's wonderful. My architecture courses are fascinating, and I've made a lot of new friends." That wasn't really true. There were people that Annabeth knew and talked to sometimes, but she hadn't made any new friends at college, not really. She told herself it was because she wanted to focus on her studies, but she knew it was really because she was afraid to get close to anyone. "So yeah, really great," she said.

"Will you be staying in the Athena cabin?" Chiron asked. Annabeth shrugged. "I guess. Always willing to meet more Athena kids." He nodded, and she turned to walk out.

"Annabeth," he called after her. "We all miss him, you know. We all lost him, and every day we feel the pain of that loss. You don't have to do this alone, my dear."

Annabeth stopped, about to leave, feeling the tears build up in her eyes. "I know," she said. That was all she could manage without breaking down. And with that, she was gone.

She went down to the Athena cabin and dropped off her bag, loaded down with books and very few personal belongings. Not knowing what else to do now, she began wandering, and suddenly found herself almost to the beach.

The waves were rolling onto the sand and receding gently, the sun lowering on the horizon, turning the water a million different beautiful colors. Her heart stopped, then began to beat rapidly.

_I shouldn't be here_, she thought. _Only bad can come from this_.

But she went down to the water anyway.

It was chilly, but not too much that she couldn't walk in the surf. The air smelled of salt, and she felt the tears begin to roll down her face. Everything reminded her of him.

It had been over a year. And every time she thought she had a handle on her emotions, thought she was okay, she'd find herself completely wrong.

She remembered the moment with excruciating detail, and now, standing here in the water, smelling the ocean air, she couldn't help but flashback to those awful last minutes.

"We can't hold them back!" Hazel shouted. Her horse, Arion, zipped around in a frenzy. There were at least three giants they were all fighting at once, and more coming in the distance. The seven of the prophecy, along with Nico, who still was hardly recovered, were the last line of defence, holding back the giants from taking Greece, and therefore, the gods. They were fighting in the center of Athens.

Jason summoned a lightning strike and blasted one giant, but all the giant did was stumble and get back up.  
"We need a god!" Frank yelled, right before changing into a dragon and blasting one of the giants in the face. "He's right," Percy said to Annabeth, as they fought back to back. "We're going to lose. It's impossible for us to defeat them."

"Well, I'm not giving up!" Annabeth yelled, stabbing the giant they were fighting and retreating before it could smash her. "I'll go down fighting before surrendering to them."

"And so will I," Percy said, holding out his hand and exploding a fountain. The water enveloped the giant and pushed him back, but it only bought them seconds. "But we need a solution. A real solution. We have to stop them, or the whole world is done for."

They backed up further, running out of options. Percy was glancing around, looking for anything to help them; perhaps a friendly neighborhood god, but every mortal, god, or creature had fled long ago.

Annabeth, out of desperation, threw her sword and hit the giant in the eye. It just roared and promised to make their death painful.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake and shift, buildings toppling and rubble falling. Hazel cried out as one of Arion's legs got hit and he went out from under her.

Leo grabbed Piper and pulled her away from the center of the square as the ground began to literally split in two. A horrible laughing came from the ground, a sound that the demigods all knew.

"No," Annabeth whispered, knowing full well who was below. "No, this can't be happening." She turned to grab Percy's hand, but he wasn't by her side. Panicking, she turned in a circle, dodging falling debris, screaming his name. She finally spotted him across the square, talking to Jason, pointing at the pit, shouting. Jason shook his head fervently, his face shocked.

What could they possibly be talking about?

Annabeth started toward them just as Jason flew to the other demigods, shouting something, and simultaneously, they began pushing the giants towards the pit, changing direction, trying to back them up. What was going on?

She followed their lead and began fighting back against the giant, grabbing rocks and throwing them, then grabbing her sword that had fallen to the ground and thrusting towards him.

Slowly but surely, with new determination, she backed him up to the edge of the pit. All of the demigods had done so, and for some reason, they were all looking at Percy. It suddenly became deadly quiet, all noise cut off.

"Gaea," Percy said, approaching the edge of the chasm. Annabeth made to move forward, but Nico was suddenly there, holding her back.

"You can't win," Percy said. "The gods are on their way. They'll be here any second now, and you and your giants won't stand a chance. So surrender now, and we'll lay down our arms."

Annabeth was shocked. Either the gods were actually coming, or Percy had an excellent bluff.

_Nice try, little demigod,_ Gaea said. _There are no gods coming. You are utterly alone_.

"I propose a trade then," Percy said. "I have an offer."

Silence. Percy took it as consent to continue, and spoke: "Your giants will surrender. We will stop fighting. The war will be over, neither side wins. And in return…" He hesitated for a fraction of a second. "You can have me."

Annabeth couldn't speak. She was frozen, her heart forgetting how to beat, her body numb.

"I'll give myself over," he said. "But the war ends."

Annabeth found her voice, finally. "Percy!" she screamed. "No!" He didn't look over, waiting.

_Your offer is certainly enticing, Percy Jackson_, Gaea said. _No more harm comes to my armies, and I get to take the demigods' leader, their hero… Their spirits will be broken._

Another pause.

_We have a deal. _

"PERCY! DON'T!" Annabeth screamed, her voice broken. "You can't do this!"

The giants were laying down their weapons, and then, as one, they turned and left.

Percy was left standing alone, so close to the edge. He looked over at Annabeth. "I love you," he said. "I always have and I always will. I'll never stop loving you till the day I die."

And the ground went out from under his feet.

Someone was screaming. Someone was crying. Annabeth realized it was her, realized that she was on the ground, collapsed, all the life gone out of her.

Someone took her arm, tried to help her, tried to support her. She couldn't move. She couldn't think.

He was gone.

Tears rolled freely down Annabeth's face as she stood there on the beach, watching the moon rise and the sun descend. Her heart felt like it had been torn in two all over again.

She looked out over the water and thought about Percy.

"Miss you, Seaweed Brain," she said. "Why can't you be here? Just.." She wiped her nose. "Stop being so stupid like you always are and get your ass back here, okay?"

And with that, she turned and walked back to the camp.


	3. Chapter 3

Nico

Nico left the cabin with a strange feeling, like elation, but with a hint of regret behind it.

He felt horrible for being with Jason. He loved it, and he loved being with him, but every second that they were alone, every time they kissed, every time Jason even looked at him with those stunning eyes, he felt it: the guilt.

He never would have dated Jason before. He never even saw him as a possible boyfriend. He'd only ever had one crush, and that was on Percy.

Percy Jackson. The cutest, funniest, bravest guy Nico had ever known, but he had always been in love with Annabeth. And Nico had never told him how he felt, and now… it was too late anyway. Jason was his way of getting over Percy. Hi way of saying, I don't need Percy Jackson to live my life. I can love someone else.

And Jason was great. He was kind, and caring, and he would do anything for Nico, and Nico knew it. But Jason wasn't Percy.

He had to admit, though, that his feelings were growing stronger. At first, their relationship had been awkward at best, with uncomfortable silences and questioning looks. But now Nico felt comfortable around Jason. In fact, Jason could cheer him up and make him smile like no one else could. But did that mean he loved him?

Nico wasn't sure.

For the past two weeks, he'd been travelling. All over the world, just him, on his own. He considered taking Jason, but decided against it. He had needed some alone time.

He'd gone to Italy, to Paris, all across the United States, and even a short sojourn in Japan. At one point, he visited the Underworld, wondering if maybe this time, he would find Percy in Elysium. No such luck.

Hades knew that Nico was looking for Percy, but he never asked why. He just shook his head and watched as his son searched desperately for a boy that was long gone.

Nico didn't know what to expect. After all, Gaea had taken Percy. He would be dead by now, but his soul would never make it to the Underworld.

Or maybe he had, but he had chosen to be reborn, try for the Isles of the Blest. Seemed like something Percy would do. Either way, Nico never found him, no matter how many times he looked. He was close to just stopping his search. If he didn't stop now, he would be looking until he was old and grey.

Nico passed Frank on his way down to the forum. "Have you seen Hazel?" Nico asked, figuring his best chance at finding her was through her boyfriend. Frank pointed towards town. "Actually, yeah, she's in the coffee shop waiting for you. Said you were gonna be late again." He grinned. "Better hurry."

Nico thanked him and took off towards the town, wanting to please Hazel at least once, show that he could be responsible. He made it to the shop with a minute to spare, but considering he was sweaty and out of breath, he waited thirty seconds to get his breathing under control before calmly walking in and sitting down across from her. Hazel looked surprised.

"You made it!" she exclaimed. "And on time, too! I have to say, I'm impressed." Nico shrugged, concealing his grin. "Hey, I try to always be on time for everything." Hazel rolled her eyes. "Please. I already ordered for us, got you black coffee, no sugar. Just how you like it."

Nico smiled. Hazel knew him pretty well, considering he didn't even know she existed until a few years ago. She filled the sisterly role in his life where Bianca was missing.

"So how was your trip?" Hazel asked, as their drinks came to the table. Ironically, she had ordered hazelnut coffee. Nico shrugged. "It was good. I was visiting dad for a little bit, Persephone says hi. But I guess you don't really know her, do you." Hazel shook her head. "Not really dying to meet her, either. I hope she doesn't start sending me flowers or something." Nico chuckled. "She won't, don't worry."

They sipped their drinks in silence, until Hazel broke it and said, "So how are you, really? And don't lie, because I can tell when you're lying."

Nico looked down, the pattern on his seat suddenly very interesting. "I'm fine," he mumbled. "Don't worry about me. If you wanna worry over someone, go find Piper. She's heartbroken since Jason broke up with her." Hazel frowned. "Piper isn't my family. I worry about you more, and rightfully so."

"Well I'm fine," Nico said, not meeting her eyes. "How's Frank doing?" If he could get her to start talking about her boyfriend, he would be in the clear.

Hazel's eyes narrowed. "Uh huh. I don't believe you, but I'll let it go for now. This conversation isn't over, Nico." She leaned back in her chair. "Thanks for asking, Frank is good. We're going to be visiting Camp Half Blood, if you wanna come. We're leaving tomorrow." Nico felt his heart begin to pound, like it wanted to beat its way out of his chest.

"Um, well, I actually just got back, and I'd rather just stay here and rest for a few days, not leave again, you know…" He knew his argument was weak, and Hazel looked skeptical, but she shrugged. "It's your choice. I'm sure they all miss you there." Nico let out a short, cynical laugh. "Yeah, right. Trust me, they've already forgotten me."

Hazel nodded. "Mmhmm. I'm sure. Well, you have fun staying here and being lonely. I have to go pack." She stood and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I missed you, Nico."

She hurried out with her coffee. Nico wanted to shout, "I'm lonely, huh? Tell that to my boyfriend!" He didn't of course, but he would have loved to see her face when he said that.

"Love you too, sis," he muttered, finishing his coffee alone.


	4. Chapter 4

Annabeth

The camp had never felt more foreign to Annabeth. She stayed in the cabin, mostly, working on school papers, talking with some other new Athena campers.

One particular young girl was fascinated with Annabeth's computer models of new buildings she was working on designing for a class. "But how does the support system work?" she asked, clearly intrigued. Annabeth smiled. The girl, whose name was Lillian, was fascinated by everything and eager to learn. She reminded Annabeth of… herself. A little headstrong, very smart, and willing to go the distance.

Annabeth just hoped that she wouldn't have as hard of a life as Annabeth had.

One night, Annabeth was lying on one of the empty bunks, sketching out a drawing of a fountain that she was designing to be put on campus. She held a penlight in her mouth so she could see without disturbing the other campers.

Her mind wandered, and she thought about how much Percy would have loved to help her. He would have wanted to go over the top, of course-put in flashing lights and explosions, if he could. But Annabeth thought he would love what she was designing; it was a modern look, just three simple pools and one main spout. No extreme decorations or unnecessary flourishes, just simple and beautiful.

Her eyes welled up a little bit. What wouldn't she give to have Percy lying here, next to her, right now?

"Annabeth?" a soft voice called out in the dark. She rolled over and looked towards the voice, turning off her penlight. "Yeah, Lillian?" she asked softly.

The sound of feet padding over to her was followed by the small girl plopping down on the bed next to Annabeth.

"I can't sleep," she whispered. Annabeth sighed. "Do you want to go for a walk? See if that helps?" she asked the little girl.

Lillian gasped softly. "Leave the cabin at night and walk around? Aren't we supposed to stay inside?"

Annabeth laughed to herself. "We'll be fine," she said. "Trust me, I've been here longer than you. I grew up here." Lillian reluctantly stood up and waited for Annabeth to get shoes on, then pulled on her own slippers and followed Annabeth out the door into the night.

"Come on," Annabeth whispered, leading her towards the amphitheater. They sat down on one of the benches and stared at the empty arena. "Do you guys fight to the death here?" Lillian asked. Annabeth laughed. "No, no. We don't fight to the death, ever. We have chariot races here." Lillian let out a sigh of relief. "I was worried."

Annabeth smiled. "Don't worry. Smart little girl like yourself, you'll be fine."

"I'm not as smart as the other campers," she muttered. "They all go to school and get straight As and they're gonna get scholarships to all these big fancy colleges and all I do all day is sit around and read."

Annabeth squeezed the girl's hand. "Don't you worry. I bet you're tons smarter than they are. Just because they go to school doesn't make them any better." She stared up at the moon and laid back, resting her head against the step behind her.

"Besides, smartness isn't measured in how much you can read or how many equations you can solve. Wisdom is far more important."

Lillian was quiet for a moment. "Well, what do I have to do to be wise, then?" she asked.

Annabeth thought for a minute.

"There's a quote, said by Socrates. Do you know who that is?"

"Mmhmm."

"Well, he once said, 'The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.' Does that make sense to you?"

Lillian looked over at Annabeth. "But if you don't know anything, how can you be wise?"

"Because you have to realize that there is so much that you don't know about this world. And not just scientifically or mathematically, but in other ways, too. You don't know everything about every person on this planet. I bet if you did, you would go crazy. The point is in recognizing that there's so much you don't know, and only then can you begin to appreciate the value of knowledge. Which is what wisdom is all about. "

"So it's like… realizing you're part of something much bigger than yourself," Lillian said. Annabeth nodded. "Right."

Lillian was quiet for a minute. Annabeth gazed at the stars.

"Was Percy wise, then? Because he knew he had to give up himself for a greater good?"

Annabeth whipped her head toward Lillian, eyes wide. "Who told you about that?" she demanded. Lillian shrunk away.

"Everyone knows about it at camp. It's the first story I heard when I came here."

Annabeth sighed. Of course the campers would talk. They could never not gossip, not tell the stories of their heroes.

"What else did you hear?" Annabeth asked, leaning back.

"Lots of things," Lillian said. "I mean, he's like the modern day Hercules, only better. I've heard all the stories about how you guys all went and returned Zeus' lightning bolt, and traveled in the Sea of Monsters, and beat Kronos. And the stories about The Seven, too."

Annabeth closed her eyes. Hearing Lillian talk about Percy, she could see him in her mind: Those sea green eyes, twinkling and bright, mischievous, but in an enticing way. The way his messy black hair would be in complete disarray in the morning, sticking up all over. The glint of Riptide as he fought, parried and slashed, destroying enemies as though he was born to be a warrior. And to be honest, he was always destined for greatness.

"Was it bad?" Lillian asked. Annabeth opened one eye and looked at her.

"When he... you know. Was it hard?"

"It still is hard," Annabeth said. She didn't think that she had wanted to talk about it, but once she did, the words came pouring out.

"It's like I lived my whole life blind and deaf until I met him, and then my whole universe was flipped upside down. He made everything better. If you ever find someone who you know you're meant to be with, you'll understand. He was my other half, a part of me. It was hard enough when he vanished for months, but I knew he was alive out there. The second time, though, watching him fall, knowing there was nothing I could do, knowing he was gone…" Her voice cracked. "It felt like my soul was being ripped from my body, and every day that I wake up and realize he's really gone, I feel that pain all over again."

Lillian didn't say anything for a minute while Annabeth dried her eyes and tried to compose herself.

"You don't know for certain that he's gone," she said. "If anyone could find a reason to fight for their life, it would be Percy. I don't think, after all the stories I've heard, that he wouldn't do everything in his power to come back to you."

"But is it better to have hope that's never fulfilled, or live with the knowledge that he's not coming back?" Annabeth asked. "I don't know which is worse."

"I think hope is what gives us strength, in the end," Lillian said. "Sometimes, it's all we have. But it's better than nothing."


	5. Chapter 5

Jason

After Nico left, Jason laid back on his bed and stared at the ceiling. How had things even come to this?

A few months ago, he had been dating Piper. Happily, or so he thought. But he never really felt like they had connected, truly… he knew that Piper had been convinced they were in love. She had all of these memories of their relationship that Jason didn't have, and her mom was the love goddess, for Jupiter's sake. But there was something with Nico that he had never felt with Piper.

Jason had never even thought he swung that way. His whole life he'd always been interested in girls; Reyna for a little bit, Piper, etc. And he still liked them, for sure, but… how could he date Nico and still call himself straight?

He blinked twice is surprise. Date Nico. He was dating him. Sure, it wasn't official, they hadn't ever said it out loud, ever called each other honey or used the word "boyfriend". But what they had was undeniable.

Jason wasn't sure what to think of it. And when he wasn't sure of something, or he was confused or worried, Jason liked to work out. Fight. Spar. Anything to get him moving and take his mind off of Nico's lips, his face, his hair…

He grabbed his sword and headed over to the training room. No one else was in there, seeing as a game of capture the flag had just been played. Who on earth would want to practice after a game?

Jason Grace did.

He started with push-ups and crunches, jumping jacks, ran a few laps. Then he got out the practice dummies and began fighting, whirling around, slashing, trying not to think about anything else.

Nothing mattered for the next hour and a half. It felt like a minute to Jason. He was soaked with sweat and breathing heavily, but the burn in his arms and legs felt good. It was the kind of pain that kept you from thinking about certain boys with certain dark, endearing eyes.

He allowed his mind to wander to Piper for a second. She'd been devastated when he told her they should take a break. What he didn't say was that it was because he was in love with a boy, but looking back, that almost would have been better. He'd been so lame about it.

He had told her that they didn't have the same connection they used to, and that he felt that he didn't want to fall in love with her knowing how short demigod's lives usually are, and he couldn't bear to lose her.

It was so bad. So lame. He couldn't have messed things up worse. She didn't speak to him for a week and a half, barely glancing at him and avoiding him at all costs. The few times they saw each other recently, she had been cordial, but distant.

He had too many regrets. He was going to go talk to her.

Annabeth

"I'll be going back to college tomorrow," Annabeth said to Lillian, skipping a rock out over the lake. "I'm sorry I have to go. I wish I could spend more time with you, but…"

Lillian nodded. "It's okay. I get it. I'm still gonna miss you, though." She threw her arms around Annabeth, who hugged her back.

"I'll come visit more," she said. "Promise. I won't do what I did last time… I won't stay away or anything. But you have to promise to try to do your best and not always compare yourself to the others."

Lillian nodded. "I'll try. I'll think about mom and try to be wise, like her." Annabeth smiled.

The lake was glittering under the late afternoon sun, sparkling like a thousand diamonds on the surface. Annabeth could smell the ocean air in the distance, and she tried not to feel sad. Lillian wouldn't want to see her cry and break down.

In the distance, campers were heading to the mess hall for dinner. Lillian stood up and brushed off her shorts. "We should go to dinner," she said. "Come on." She offered a hand and helped Annabeth up, which was kind of funny seeing as Lillian was about four and a half feet tall. Annabeth accepted her help anyway.

"What time do you leave tomorrow?" Lillian asked, tugging on Annabeth's hand to move her along. Annabeth shrugged. "Probably in the morning sometime. Not quite sure yet. I think I'll stop by-" She almost said she would stop by Sally's apartment, but then Lillian would ask questions and start talking about Percy again.

"Stop by where?" she asked curiously. Annabeth thought quickly. "Um, at a cupcake place in the city. I promised my friend that I would get her one on my way back."

"Oh," Lillian said. "That was nice of you." Annabeth nodded absently. "Mmhmm. Well, I have to go pack, I'll see you at the fire tonight," she said, heading off towards the cabins. Lillian pouted, but continued on to the mess hall.

Annabeth watched her go and skip over to the Athena table. She reminded Annabeth so much of herself.

She smiled and reached the cabin. She would visit, like she promised. Of course she would.

Annabeth began to pack.


	6. Chapter 6

Nico

"Hazel, wait!" Nico called as he ran towards his sister. "I'm going to come with you. You and Frank. To Camp Half-Blood." He was out of breath from having run so far so quickly.

After finishing his coffee alone in the cafe, Nico had sat there for about twenty minutes, thinking two things: 1. I can't let Hazel down again. 2. I can't leave Jason alone again.

Number 1 had won out, and here he was, running after her.

"You're...coming with us?" Hazel asked, looking confused. Nico nodded, still short of breath. He wasn't exactly in superior shape, not like Jason. Who he was leaving. Again. Like an idiot.

"I just… I feel like I should visit again," he said. "You know, my old home, old friends, etc." What he didn't add was, Because I want you to think that I'm not some loser or horrible brother. Because I want to make you proud of me, for once.

"Well… that's great!" Hazel said, brightening up. "I'm so glad you're coming, Nico." She grabbed an empty bag and tossed it at him. "Here, pack your stuff. We won't be staying too long, so don't worry. Maybe a week, tops."

Nico nodded and went to go pack a few outfits. He rarely ever wore anything different, and all his clothes looked the same, but he wanted to please Hazel.

The next day, they got up at the crack of dawn, which to Nico seemed like it should be outlawed. Why should he be up and moving when the sun wasn't even up and moving?

Nico would have been content to leave later and just shadow travel, but Hazel was intent on travelling together, so they had to take a plane. Frank was fine with it, but if the plane crashed he could just turn into a bird and fly away. Nico was sick with worry the whole time, thinking Zeus would knock them out of the sky just for kicks.

By the time they landed at Newark airport, Nico was just glad to see the ground again, thinking he would kiss it.

They took a cab to the camp, and the driver was a little confused, but dropped them off near the hill nonetheless and took off.

"This is so exciting!" Hazel exclaimed. "I've never been before. I mean, Frank, I know you visited, but this is so cool!" She hurried to the top of the hill and gazed down on Camp Half-Blood.

"Wow," she breathed. "It's so beautiful." Nico took in the sight of the camp with half fear, half nostalgia. He had a wide array of memories here, good and bad.

As they started down toward the camp, a figure appeared walking towards them.

"Is that Annabeth?" Hazel asked, squinting. Her face lit up. "It is! Annabeth!" she squealed, running down the hill towards her. They embraced and started chatting away. Nico and Frank met them down there.

"Hey, guys!" Annabeth exclaimed, hugging them both, which shocked Nico a little bit, since he wasn't much of a hugger, and Annabeth had never really liked him. He had also been bitterly jealous of her for quite sometime.

"I was just leaving, unfortunately," she said. "I've been visiting. But I have to get back to my classes, can't miss too much, you know?"

Hazel nodded sadly. "Well, you'll have to visit again soon!" Hazel exclaimed, hugging her again. "We'll see you!"

Annabeth waved and started towards the pine tree. "Bye!"

"She's doing better," Frank noted. "Less sad, for sure. I think college is good for her." Hazel nodded in agreement, which made Nico wonder how bad things had been after Percy….

Nico had stayed away from all of the seven for a month or so afterwards. He couldn't bear to face them, any of them. He'd had to hold Annabeth back at that last battle, keep her from stopping Percy, and the decision weighed on his heart every day.

They made their way down to the Big House with Nico leading the way, since he actually knew where he was going. Hazel was wide-eyed and staring all around, admiring every aspect of the camp. "Come on," Nico said, tugging her arm as she gaped all around. "You'll have time for sightseeing later."

They dropped their stuff off in one of the guest rooms of the Big House. Nico would be staying in the Hades cabin, but Frank and Hazel would stay in the Big House. They were strangers, after all.

"Hello?" a deep voice called from the front of the cabin. Nico heard the heavy clip clop of hooves. "Chiron," he called, going to meet him. "Long time." Chron nodded and shook Nico's hand firmly. Hazel stuttered out, "Chiron-I, um-I ah, nice to meet you, Hazel Levesque, I've heard so much and-uh, I, ah…"

Chiron shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Hazel. I've also heard much about you. Only good, don't worry." Hazel smiled weakly.

"Frank! Good to see you again," Chiron said, shaking his hand. "It's been a while."

"Well, we're excited to be here," Frank said. "Hazel's been waiting for this for quite some time." Hazel blushed deeply and looked away.

"Well I hope you enjoy your stay," Chiron said. "We have capture the flag later, and a sing-along tonight. I hope you'll all join us." He looked at Nico when he said this, probably because he was the antisocial one. Nico just smiled and shrugged in reply.

"Alright, well, we wanted to go see Leo, so we'll talk later!" Hazel said, dragging Frank away, clearly trying her hardest to get out of the awkward situation.

"Um, I better go with them," Nico said, quickly following them. He could feel Chiron's stare on his back as he hurried away.


	7. Chapter 7

Annabeth

New York was a great city. Annabeth loved it there, most days-when it wasn't being attacked by Titans and such. But the energy of the city was undeniable, and the sights, the sounds, the smells, all of it was so exciting and modern. Of course, Mount Olympus was here, too, and Annabeth had spent quite a lot of time there after the Titan war redesigning Olympus.

But the city had its downside-it reminded Annabeth of Percy. It was his home, the place he loved, and Annabeth couldn't go anywhere without being reminded of him.

Try to buy a hot dog-bam, memory of when they bought lunch from a street vendor and went to a movie. Try to take a nice jog through Central Park, and Percy's face as they sat on a bench together was all she could see. It was hard, being here, but Annabeth needed to see Sally.

She got out of her taxi at Sally's apartment and headed up the stairs. She had a key to the apartment since she visited so often, and knocked before letting herself in, cupcakes from the bakery down the street in her hand. She had decided to bring some to Sally's place as a surprise.

As she walked in, a wave of sadness overcame her as she remembered the afternoons that her and Percy had spent in the city, and then come back here for dinner. Too many memories were here, but Sally needed her visits. She loved when Annabeth visited her.

"Sally?" she called into the apartment. "You home?"

She was rewarded with a surprised, "Oh! I didn't hear you!" and Sally rushing out of her office, papers fluttering to the ground behind her.

"I'm sorry, it's a mess in here," she apologized, hurrying in and pulling her hair back, since it's current state was flying around her head in a mess. "I wasn't expecting anyone."

"I'm sorry," Annabeth said, holding out the cupcakes. "I brought food, if that helps." Sally laughed. "It definitely does. Come on in to the kitchen," she said. "This was so nice of you," she said, taking the cupcakes. "You didn't have to." Annabeth shrugged. "I just thought if I'm dropping by, might as well bring a little something for you. It's been a while." Sally gave Annabeth a hug. "It surely has. I'm glad you stopped by."

She pulled out a chair for Annabeth and then bustled around, getting out the lemonade and pouring two glasses. "How's college been?"

Annabeth smiled. "It's great. The courses are so interesting, and it's great being with other students who share my passions, you know? Lots to learn, great teachers, overall wonderful." She didn't mention the part about being antisocial and never talking to others.

They talked for a little while more about college life and how things were going for Sally at home.

"I'm glad college is going so well," Sally said, smiling. "You deserve to be happy. I just know you're going to do great things, Annabeth." She looked down at the lemonade in her glass, swirling it around. "He would have been proud of you," she said, almost whispering it. "He always talked about how you were going to be the greatest architect of the century, build monuments to last forever. He thought so highly of you."

A lone tear fell down her cheek, and she brushed it away. "He always told me to pursue my dream of writing a novel, too. That's why I've been working so hard on it, because I know he believed in me. He wanted me to be happy and accomplish what I always wanted."

Tears were now falling freely down her face, and she got up and grabbed a tissue. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to get so emotional. It's just…" She blew her nose. "Everything reminds me of him. I just wish he was here to see all of this."

Annabeth gave Sally a hug, holding back her own tears. "I know, I know," she murmured. "I see him everywhere, in everything. And it's hard to move on. But… he wouldn't want us to sit around crying. He'd want to see you write your book, see me design buildings. He would be so proud of you, too."

They sat in silence for a while, holding each other. Annabeth tried to hold back her tears, but her efforts were futile.

"Paul will be home in a few minutes," Sally said, blowing her nose again. "And I suppose you have to get back to school, huh?" Annabeth nodded. "I'll come visit again soon, promise." She gave her one last hug and headed out.

"I hope you can see me, Percy," she said to herself. "I hope I'm making you proud."

Jason

Jason wandered into New Rome and looked for Piper in the shops. He knew she was still staying here, but she planned on leaving and going back to Camp Half-Blood soon. He had to at least make things right before she left.

Sure enough, he found her in her favorite small cafe, eating a sandwich and watching a couple eating in the booth across from her. Jason's heart fell to his knees.

"Mind if I sit here?" Jason asked, approaching Piper. She looked up, and for a second, a look of hope and excitement crossed her face. It was quickly replaced by an indifferent, stoic look. "I don't care," she said, looking away.

"Look, Pipes," Jason said, not knowing how exactly to start. He knew that he wanted to apologize, but he didn't know how.

"Don't call me that," she said sharply. "I'm not your girlfriend anymore, Jason. You made that clear. Please don't rub salt in the wound."

Jason felt like an even bigger idiot.

"I don't know how to say this any other way, Piper, but I'm so sorry," he said. "I know how awful I was, breaking up with you like that. It was classless. It was dumb, and I feel so bad about it. And I guess I'm trying to ask for your forgiveness here. I mean, I don't need you to be my best friend and talk to me all the time, but I can't go on knowing that you're so upset and knowing it's my fault. I just want to make things better."

Piper glanced at Jason, then looked away again. "It wouldn't upset me that much, Jason, except what everyone said was true. They all warned me, 'Don't date a son of Jupiter. They're bad. He'll hurt you.' Well, we survived the war, and I thought that was it. I thought I got my happy ever after, but I was wrong. And I don't even know why!" She turned and faced him, anger in her eyes.

"You just said it 'wasn't working out'. Really? We'd been together for so long, been through so much. You gave me everything, and I did the same for you. So what changed? Was it something I did? Something I said? Or what? Because I'm not buying any of that 'I don't want to lose you' BS."

Jason took each of her words like a stab to the heart. It killed him to see her so upset, and he wanted to tell her about Nico. But would that make everything worse, or better? I just didn't sound right to say, Sorry Piper, I broke up with you because I fell in love with a guy.

How did he explain himself, though, if he didn't say that?

"Look, Piper, it was nothing you said or did. I just… it's me. You never did anything wrong. I know it sounds dumb, but really, it was me that made it end. I'm the problem."

"So what is it?" she demanded. "What's so bad about you, what's your big problem that was so catastrophic that you couldn't tell me, and then had to break up with me for good measure?"

She looked like she could either scream or break down crying.

"I… I met someone else," Jason said. "I mean, it wasn't something I thought would happen, it just sort of did, and I couldn't go on not telling you, but I felt awful, and I panicked, so I just... I had to break up with you. I didn't know what else to do."

Piper had gone pale. "So there's someone else, then. Another girl. Is it Reyna?"

"What?!" Jason exclaimed. "No! Of course not! Reyna and I… that was forever ago. And it was never real, anyway."

"Well who is it, then?" Piper asked. "I at least have the right to know her name, don't I?"

Jason hesitated. Should he tell her?

But he had no choice.

"Well, his name is Nico," he said. "Yes, Nico DiAngelo. I don't know how it happened, it just sort of… came out of nowhere."

Piper just sort of stared for a moment, not saying anything.

"I'm sorry, Piper, please," he said, but she just stood up and left, not saying a word.


	8. Chapter 8

Annabeth

Annabeth flopped down on her bed in her college dorm, exhausted from her trip, both emotionally and physically. She wanted to finish her reading assigned to her, but she was so tired, she just couldn't. Without even meaning to, Annabeth closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, shoes still on, bag in hand.

Her dreams were, of course, mostly nightmares and hardly normal. All demigod dreams just had to be different, didn't they?

It started out in her college dorm. She was walking down the hallway to her design class when there was a commotion in the cafeteria. Looking in, she saw no one in there. Not a soul.

Except for the lone young man sitting at a table on the other side of the room, looking out the window. Annabeth crossed over quickly to him. "What's going on?" she started to ask, but he turned his head and she gasped, tripping backwards.

It was Percy.

"You have to help me," he pleaded. "Please. You have to save me. How could you let me die?" Annabeth tried to move, tried to speak, but she was frozen. She couldn't do anything.

"Thanks for the help," Percy said, his voice sounding sarcastic, and evil, and not like Percy at all. Then the floor opened up beneath Annabeth and she fell, fell for days. Like Tartarus all over again.

When she landed, she didn't so much as hit the ground as much as just appear on the ground. The landscape was barren, hot wind blew. It was dark and smelled awful. Annabeth knew exactly where she was.

There was a groan nearby. Annabeth ran toward the sound, not thinking.

Percy lay on the ground next to the River of Fire, eyes closed, unmoving. "No!" Annabeth cried, running towards him. Just as she reached him, his eyes opened. They were his usual startling green, shining like beacons in this hopeless wasteland.

"You have to help me," he choked out. "I can't do it. I can't. Help me." The river suddenly rushed up towards them, a wall of lava approaching fast. Annabeth screamed and shut her eyes, reaching for Percy, but when nothing happened and she opened them, she was alone on the beach at camp.

She turned in a circle, looking around. The moon was high and full overhead, the waves lapping softly at the sand, a stillness in the air like a calm before the storm.

"Hello?" Annabeth called timidly. No one answered her.

She wandered down the beach, looking for anyone, but she was completely alone. She started to turn to go back to camp when a splash sounded from the water.

Turning quickly, Annabeth saw someone walking out of the waves, but perfectly dry even though they had been in water. She gasped and started running toward him, but he didn't appear any closer. No matter how hard she ran, he was still just a figure standing in the surf, no closer, no farther. She could see a sword in his hand at his side, glowing softly in the night. She knew it was him.

Pumping her legs faster and faster, Annabeth finally reached him. But just as his face came into view, she stopped and half screamed. She was so out of breath from running, she could hardly do anything.

His eyes were pure gold.

"Don't be stupid," he said in a voice that was not his, before swinging the sword towards her head in a deadly arc.

Annabeth woke up with a start, tears in her eyes and a scream in her throat, but she stopped herself.

It was just a dream. Just a dumb, meaningless dream, she told herself. But she couldn't shake the feeling it had left her with.

"Deep breaths," she told herself, trying to calm down. She grabbed a random book from her shelf and started reading it, but her mind was somewhere else. It did help to calm her down, though.

"Think logically about this," she whispered to herself. It was a good thing her roommate wasn't here. "Calm down. It was just a dream. A nightmare. It's okay." She took a few more deep breaths and tried not to cry, thinking of Percy.

Annabeth leaned back on her bed, Gods, she missed him. More than anything. What wouldn't she give to have him here right now?

All she had was an empty dorm and homework awaiting her. She got out her notebook instead, though, and began to sketch. She drew buildings schematics that she dreamed of towering in New York someday, or San Francisco, or some other big city. She would build monuments to last ages, and in the future, she would be remembered for her architecture, her beautiful work.

Setting goals like that, thinking about the future, it helped Annabeth to focus and think more clearly.

With visions of towers and skyscrapers, Annabeth slowly fell back into a mercifully dreamless sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Nico

Sitting by the lake as the sun set, Nico thought about Jason. Thought about how he had left him all alone back at camp. He hadn't even warned him that he would be leaving. Gods, Jason was going to be pissed.

"Hey," said a voice behind Nico. He turned to see Hazel coming towards him. He smiled. "Hi, Hazel. What's up?"

She sat down next to him and skipped a rock out over the lake. "I've just been a little lonely," she said, bumping his shoulder. "Frank is teaching an archery class to some little kids, and I got bored. This camp is pretty amazing."

She stared out towards the horizon. Nico nodded. "Yeah, it is nice," he said. All he could think of were the bad memories that came with this place.

"And Percy lived here," she said softly. "For a long time, right?"

Nico didn't say anything. He didn't trust himself to speak.

"I miss him so much," Hazel said, her voice choked. "I can't believe what he did for us-for all of us." She turned to Nico. "Do you think he's still alive?" Nico took a deep breath. He had to answer. "I don't know," he said. "It doesn't feel like he's gone, but I don't… I just don't know." He didn't mention the hundreds of times he had tried to summon Percy's spirit or ask other spirits if they knew anything. He had failed every time.

"Me neither," Hazel said. "I want to have hope, but at the same time… I'm afraid to hope." Nico reached out and squeezed her hand. "You'll always find the bright side, Hazel. You always do."

She gave him a hug and stood up. "You should go back to your cabin, Nico. Come on." She offered a hand, but he waved it away. "I think I'll stay here a little longer."

"Okay," she said, giving him a warm smile. She walked back towards the cabins.

The night was still and the air cool. The sun finally dipped below the horizon, and the stars emerged.

Nico stared up at them, thinking about Jason. Thinking about Percy. Trying to tell himself that Percy was gone, it was done, and he wasn't coming back, but he couldn't. He just couldn't believe that he was dead-he never spoke to his spirit, or heard others talk about him from the dead, or saw him in the Underworld. What if he was still alive?

Nico knew he could never be completely happy with Jason as long as he kept thinking about Percy, and "what if".

He sighed and stood up, ready to head back to his cabin. "I'm sorry, Percy," he said to the night sky. Then he turned and headed back.

Jason

"Hey, have you seen Nico anywhere?" Jason asked one of the campers. He shook his head. "Haven't seen him since yesterday. Saw him with Hazel and Frank though, and they were about to head off on vacation or something, weren't they?"

Jason cursed under his breath. Not again.

Just when Nico had gotten back and Jason had him again, he had to up and leave, just like that. Trying to keep calm, he clenched his fists and took deep breaths. Everything that he had just told Piper, and all of the shit going on, and he just up and left without a warning?

Jason got that Nico was unpredictable, and moody, and that made him difficult. Jason put up with it 99% of the time. But honestly, Nico just got back from his world travels, and he just took off with Hazel?

Jason sighed and returned to his cabin, flopping down on the bed. It was hard enough being in a secret relationship with Nico, let alone having him back for one day before he left again. Sometimes Jason wondered if Nico really did want to be with him. What did Jason have to offer anyway?

He rolled over and closed his eyes. Maybe a little rest would help-it was only 7 at night, but Jason was exhausted from the day and his training. Sleep couldn't hurt.

His dreams were extremely vivid and awful.

It started out with him and Piper back on the bus when Jason first woke up after losing his memory. She was sitting next to him, telling him all of these stories from when they were dating, but when Jason tried to stop her, she pulled out Katropis and tried to show him it was true. All he could see in the knife was her tearstained face as he broke up with her, and her angry, glaring, disbelieving expression when he told her the truth.

She shoved him and he fell off the bus through the back door, landing hard on the dirt road, watching it go away. He saw Nico leaning out the window, shaking his head. He somehow heard him say, "I never wanted to be with you, anyways."

They were gone in a cloud of dust.

Jason heard the rumbling of thunder in the distance, a storm approaching. He stood and saw a bolt of lightning flash in the distance, and suddenly his father was standing there. "Jason, you failed me," he said. "You failed all of us. How could my son be such a poor leader?"

"I tried to save him!" Jason screamed. "I couldn't do anything! Please!" Jupiter just glared at him. "You were always a disappointment," he said. "I never want to see you again."

"NO!" Jason screamed, but the god was gone. He was alone.

"Jason," a weak voice called from behind him. He whirled around. Percy was struggling towards him. "Oh my gods!" Jason gasped, running towards him and trying to grab his friend. Percy was beaten up horribly, burns all over his skin, scrapes, cuts, and bruises covering him. He was limping and holding his arm gingerly. "You have to help me," he rasped out in a broken voice. "Jason, please. You have to help me." Jason tried to put an arm under his to help him, but he couldn't grab him.

"I'm trying, I'm trying," Jason said, reaching for him. He couldn't reach him, though. Why couldn't he reach him?

"Percy!" he yelled. "Come on!" But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't hold him, support him. He was failing. Like his dad said.

"It's okay," Percy said, his eyes sad. "No one can help me." There was a sudden gust of wind, incredibly strong, that threw Jason sideways, kicking up dust and blinding him. When he looked up again, Percy was gone.

Jason woke with a start, static electricity building in his hands. He calmed himself down and tried to breathe.

"I have to find him," he muttered. "I have to save him."

He was going to Camp Half-Blood.


	10. Chapter 10

Annabeth

Classes on monday mornings weren't usually that awful; except the night before, Annabeth had woken up repeatedly after having nightmares about losing Percy. She had barely slept at all.

She stumbled into her first class (which was at 7 in the morning-who holds a class that early on a monday?) and sat down heavily. Her professor eyed her warily, perhaps thinking she had partied too much last night and was going to throw up everywhere. Annabeth gave her a weak smile. She nodded and turned back to her desk as other students came in and sat down.

"Today, as you all know class, begins your last formal assessment of the year," she said. Annabeth sat bolt upright. She had completely forgotten that today was the start of finals week-oh gods, she hadn't studied at all! She grabbed her notebook and textbook and began frantically flipping through both, scanning both texts in a sort of last minute scramble for knowledge. She doubted that with everything going on, though, that she would be able to remember any of it for the test.

She groaned and put her head in her hands, blocking out the teacher's words. She shouldn't even have come to class today. She should have called a sick day. But Annabeth knew that she never could have backed out of class; it's not something she would do. It wasn't in her nature.

Even if it meant failing her final.

The test was brutal; Annabeth couldn't focus or recall any of the lessons she had learned, and she could tell the teacher was watching her. Annabeth had always been a star student, and more than anything she was upset that her teacher probably thought she was hungover.

When the end of class finally arrived, Annabeth practically threw her test at the professor and hurried out of the room before the teacher could comment on her performance.

Her next class was a Greek Literature studies class that she had taken just for fun this semester, as a way of giving herself a break from the tough curriculum. Plus, it was always interesting to hear the viewpoints of mortals on Greek myths. Many discussions revolved around, "Why was this myth created? What meaning does it have?"

Annabeth found it quite amusing sometimes, a little bit insulting other times.

She decided to skip class.

It took a tremendous amount of effort to not walk through the classroom door and sit down anyway, but Annabeth just turned and went back to her dorm.

Students all over campus were studying, noses crammed in books, notecards everywhere. Annabeth breezed by all of them and only thought of her bed, a nap, just a few seconds to relax and wind down. She just wanted to sleep peacefully.

She reached her room and was about to crash on her bed when she saw the girl standing in the corner.

Annabeth covered her mouth so she wouldn't scream and notify the whole dormitory of the intruder. After a panicked moment, she realized it was Thalia Grace.

"Oh my gods, Thalia!" Annabeth said, rushing over and hugging her. "I didn't… what are you doing here? In my room?" Thalia sat down heavily in a chair.

"I've been having these weird dreams," she said. "And I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to upset the other hunters, so I told them I had a hunt to do alone and left them to come find you." She took a breath. "It's about Percy."

Annabeth stumbled back and sat on her bed. "I've been having dreams about him too," she said. "I guess we both just miss him."

"No, it's more than that," Thalia insisted, following Annabeth over to the bed. "It's like…" She hesitated. "It's like he's still alive and trying to talk to us. Or something. I don't know." She sighed and sat down. "I know it's dumb to have hope, because it'll just get crushed anyways, but I can't shake this feeling that he's trying to talk to us, somehow."

Annabeth closed her eyes. "I used to think he would come back. I used to be so hopeful, so sure of it, and it made it ten times worse when I realized the truth, Thalia. I trust you and your instincts, but I just don't see how it's possible. I can't let myself believe in something that I'm still trying to give up on."

There was silence between the two as they sat on the bed.

"I just wanna get some sleep," Annabeth said, eyes still closed. "You're welcome to stay, though."

She heard rustling and felt movement as Thalia stood up. "Thanks, Annabeth, but I have the hunters to think of. If you- no, _when_ you change your mind about the dreams and what they mean, just send me an IM. And don't forget to have a little faith."

Annabeth kept her eyes closed and mouth shut, because she didn't want to say or do anything she would regret. She heard the sound of the window sliding open and shut, and then silence.

Nico

The son of Hades couldn't sleep in his cabin at Camp Half-Blood. He kept thinking of Jason, and how it was unfair for Nico to have just left him. He'd been in camp for a few days now, so Jason had definitely noticed his absence. Nico sighed and buried his head in his pillow.

He stared up at the dark ceiling and wished to be anywhere else. Of course, that was the problem with Nico; he never knew where he wanted to be. He'd travelled the world and seen so many places, but he never stayed in one place too long. Neither of the camps felt like home, but he didn't know where else to go. He just wanted to be somewhere.

Or with someone.

He couldn't help thinking that it should have been him that fell, not Percy. Of course, he had never been as brave as Percy, but Nico was a child of the Underworld. He stood a better chance of surviving. Why had he let Percy go through with that stupid plan anyway?

There was a quiet tapping on his door.

Nico sat up slowly, listening for other sounds. Maybe he had imagined it.

The tapping came again, more like a knock.

Nico slowly went to the door. It couldn't be a monster, because they couldn't get in the camp. So who was it? Hazel, maybe?

He opened the door to see two bright blue eyes staring at him above a smile that he had forgotten how much he loved.

"Jason?" he asked, shocked. Before he could say anything else, the other demigod was inside the cabin and giving Nico a kiss.

"I had to come," he said breathlessly, sounding like he had run all the way from California. "For you, but also because of this dream I had. It was so… intense, it had to be real. So vivid. I knew I had to follow you here. Is that why you came, too?"

Nico was incredibly confused. "I came here with Hazel because she wanted to visit," he said. "What dream are you talking about?"

"The one from Percy!" Jason said, his voice hushed but excited. "In my dream, he came to me and said I had to help him. So I came here. This is his home, after all."

"A dream," Nico said slowly. "From… Percy. How would he come to you in a dream?" Jason shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I just know that I have to help him, and I want you with me. And I want to save him, because he saved all of us. We owe him that much."

For a minute, Nico was sure that he himself was dreaming. Jason, here at Camp Half-Blood, telling Nico that Percy was still alive and needed saving?

He almost went back to his bed and laid down again.

"Jason... you probably just had a bad dream, a nightmare. A normal one. That happens to demigods, you know. We can have normal dream, just like mortals. We can miss our lost friends, just like mortals."

Jason shook his head fervently and grabbed Nico by the shoulders. "I know it was real, and it was him. And we have to help him." He turned and headed back out the door, turning to face Nico in the entryway.

"I'll do it with or without you, Nico, but I want you by my side. Please."

Nico didn't say anything.

"If you change your mind, I'm sure you'll be able to find me," Jason said, sounding somewhat bitter. "I care about him, Nico, and I know you do too. I just don't know why you're so afraid to admit it."


End file.
